Manila Jockey Club v Games and Amusement Board 107 Phil 151

Facts:
Republic Act No. 1502 increased the sweepstakes draw and races for PCSO
from six to twelve, without specifying the days on which they are to be run.
To accommodate the additional races GAB resolved to reduce the number of
Sundays assign to private entities by six.
Petitioner protested that the additional 6 races be held on the 12 Saturdays
not reserved for any private entity or particular charitable institution or any
other day of the week besides Sunday, Saturday and legal holiday
Issue:
Does the petitioner have vested rights on the unreserved Sundays
Whether or not the additional races must be inserted in club races

Held:
The appellant has no vested right to the unreserved Sundays, the wordings
of Sec 4 RA 309 as amended by RA 983 are merely permissive since the GAB
reserves the right to determine the holding of any event
In the interpretation of a legal document, especially a statute, unlike in the
interpretation of an ordinary written document, it is not enough to obtain
information to the intention or meaning of the author or authors, but also to
see whether the intention or meaning has been expressed in such a way as to
give it legal effect and validity. The purpose of the inquiry, is not only to know
what the author meant by the language he used, but also to see that the
language used sufficiently expresses that meaning.
The language of Republic Act No. 1502 in authorizing the increase, clearly
speaks of regular sweepstakes draws and races. If the intention were to
authorize additional sweepstakes draws only in which could be inserted in
the club races, the law would not have included regular races; and since
regular sweepstakes races were specifically authorized, and it would be
confusing, inconvenient, if not impossible to mix these sweepstakes races
with the regular club races all on the same day (and it has never been done
before), the conclusion seems inevitable that the additional sweepstakes
draws and races were intended to be held on a whole day, separate and
apart from the club races.